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Why Do Cats Like Treats So Much?

If you have a pet cat, then you already know that they love to have treats. But have you ever wondered why it is that they love treats so much? While yes, a treat in the middle of the day can be a complete game changer, studies have actually been done and it has proven that a cat’s genome is pretty much programmed to love treats.

When it comes to the domesticated cat, they are going to be considered on the newer side, emerging on the scene roughly 9,000 years ago. But even with this being said, your cat is going to act like a cat is going to act, which is somewhat similar to that of a wild animal. With all of that being said, here is the real reason that cats simply love to have treats, no matter what time of day it may be.

Why Cats Love Treats

Back in 2007, there was an international team of different researchers that had been working on trying to figure out a sequence to the cat genome. While they were not necessarily successful, in recent years, scientists have been able to make tons of progress and actually publish their findings. What those findings were, included the fact that giving your cat treats would be able to help them tweak their actions, their behaviors, and even their memory.

The study went on to conclude that cats are only going to split off from their wild origins if they are trained to have treats, however some of them will still prefer to mate with other wild cats. What all of this means, is that it has been very surprising to find cat DNA being domesticated.

Since it has been found that cats do actually have a wild side to them (no matter how domesticated that they have been), it is also understandable that cats are going to love having treats throughout the day. When you look back at the history of the cat, you will find that they have been able to essentially find, hunt, and eat a snack whenever they wanted too. In this day and age, the same thing is true, but your cat is going to be required to do much less work. Essentially, when you give your cat a treat, you are taking the ‘hunt’ away from them.

Does this mean that you should not give your cat treats? Absolutely not. However, instead of simply giving your pet cat a treat, maybe you should make it a game and hide it from them or put it into their favorite toy. You can also improve their oral health, with some dental treats, while you’re at it.

While your cat is going to love getting treats, it can be in your best interest to limit how many of those treats that you give them. If you do over feed them, it is not only going to rob them of their natural instincts, but it is also going to make them start gaining weight, which is eventually going to lead to other health issues and concerns as well.